and followed my guide out of the palace, through the courts to where the
crocodile had been the night before, but no crocodile was to be seen. My guide
grinned and pointed to a heavy trail that looked like the track of a stone-boat
drawn by a yoke of oxen.
We followed it for a hundred yards in the direction of the river, and came upon
the crocodile, covered with blood and mud. His own hide hung about him like a
dress, and his one eye opened and shut at the throng of wondering natives about.
It was not until he had been put out of his misery and his hide taken entirely off
that we felt confident of his bona fide demise.
One day I had a real adventure while out shooting, which, like many real
adventures, was made up principally of the things I thought and suffered rather
than of the things I did. Hence I hardly know how to write it out so that it will
look like an “adventure” and not a mere mishap.
My companion had told me of a trail some thirty miles up the river that led into
the jungle about three miles, to some old gold workings that date back beyond
the written records of the State. So one day we drew our little launch close up
under the bank of the river, and I sprang ashore, bent on seeing for myself the
prehistoric remains. Contrary to the advice of the Chief Justice, I only took a
heavy hunting-knife with me, and it was more for slashing away thorns and
rattans than for protection.
It was the heat of the day, and the dense jungle was like a furnace. Before I had
gone a mile I began to regret my enthusiasm. I found the path, but it was so
overgrown with creepers, parasites, and rubber-vines that I had almost to cut a
new one. Had it not been for the company of a small English terrier, Lekas,—the
Malay for “make haste,”—I believe I should have turned back.
However, I found the old workings, and spent several hours making calculations
as to their depth and course, taking notes as to the country formation, and
assaying some bits of refuse quartz. Rather than struggle back by the path, I
determined to follow the course of a stream that went through the mines and on
toward the coast. So I whistled for Lekas and started on.
For the first half-hour everything went smoothly. Then the stream widened out
and its clay bottom gave place to one of mud, which made the walking much